At a time when the ruling classes are intensifying their attacks on the people, particularly communist revolutionaries, when the ruling classes are trampling the democratic rights of the people underfoot, when the ruling class parties are basically united on the basic issues affecting the people of the country, it is the need of the hour for communist revolutionaries to unitedly oppose this onslaught, to lead the people in struggle against attacks by the ruling classes. It is the need of the hour that communist revolutionaries should overcome their differences in the interest of intensifying people's struggles. They must resolve their differences through mutual discussions, even seeking intervention of intellectuals sympathetic to revolutionary movement in case of necessity. They must not on any account let their differences develop into conflicts and clashes. This goes against the interests of the revolutionary movement of the people.

Incidents like the one at Beeroni Madava (Andhra Pradesh) impede this process and can only gladden the heart of reactionaries who like to see clashes among the revolutionary forces. As the incident reveals, the conduct of CPI (Maoist) goes against the interests of people's struggle against the reactionary ruling classes.

B-M Incident

On March 15th, '06 evening at 5 o’clock, self-defence squad of CPI(ML)-New Democracy led by Com. Ashok and consisting of 10 members reached Beeroni Madava village in Bayyaram Mandal of Khammam district. On reaching here they found that there was another squad camping near the village. Squad leader Ashok wrote a letter to them asking their details while writing our details. The Maoist squad commander Ramesh sent a written reply saying that their state committee member Prakash was also there and inviting our squad to come to their place so that a discussion could take place. Believing them, Com. Ashok went to their place with other squad members. After mutual hand shakes and salutes, Ramesh expressed their regret for failing to attend the discussions on the past two occasions. As their leaders were coming, he requested our squad leader to wait until they came. Com. Ashok told that discussion should be held between committees and asked them to write a letter for discussions. However their squad leader appealed and Com. Ashok agreed to wait. After some time 15 squad members including Maoist squad commander Sudhakar, Gopi, and Daya Vasanth came.  Along with them, Chepuri Krishna came there with 20 followers. Salutes and hand shakes followed.

Shortly afterwards, Chepuri Krishna and some CPI (Maoist) squad members jumped on Com. Ashok, seized his gun and beat him. CPI (Maoist)  squad members and goondas led by Krishna attacked other members and snatched their weapons. This was totally unexpected for the members of CPI(ML)-New Democracy self-defence squad. However, Com. Ashok could escape in the process. After this they took all these squad members to the place nearby where Prakash was staying. There they mercilessly beat the squad members Rambabu, Vasu and the villager Pottaiah. There Prakash abused the CPI(ML)-ND and its leaders in filthy language. He accused that ND is a Party of informers and renegades and its resistance struggle is a hoax etc. etc. He also said they would kill the ND commander Madhu.

Withstanding the threats of CPI (Maoist) sqaud, members of CPI(ML)-ND sqaud under the leadership of Com. Chandram replied to their charges politically and bluntly told them their act was heinous and cowardly. After beating and harassing ND squad members for hours together, they left that place saying that Ashok must have reported this to the villagers and they would come and surround their squads. As they expected, by morning itself a large number of people from various villages started to reach Beeroni Madava Village. In the meanwhile Maoists left that place and our squad members came to the place where our people were thronging.

Calling the squad members for discussion and then catching them unawares, attacking them, beating them and snatching their weapons is not only condemnable but also unheard of even in AP known for unwarranted clashes among communist revolutionaries. This breach of trust has added to the problems existing among the CRs.

CPI (Maoist)'s intervention on behalf of Mafia leader

CPI (Maoist)'s Prakash asked ND squad members certain things which showed the immediate cause of attack on ND squad by CPI (Maoist) squad. It was on behalf of a known Mafia leader, Chepuri Ravi. In fact there was no dispute between the two parties in Bayyaram mandal. He queried that ND squad had been trying to kill Chepuri Ravi, his brother Krishna and had got his fish tank looted by the people as he had opposed ND. Pointing to the Mafia acts of Chepuri Ravi and his attacks on the people, Com. Chandram questioned Prakash, how their Party could support such a person. Interestingly Prakash accepted “Chepuri Ravi is a Mafia leader, but he is cooperating with us and hence we do not keep quiet if he is touched.” Prakash further asserted, “It is our party’s policy to admit Mafia leaders into our party and reform them.”

Chepuri Ravi’s criminal career began in 1990. Because of his anti-people Mafia activities he came in conflict with CPI(ML)-ND as we opposed his exploitation and atrocities on the people. He launched attacks on our Party trying to eliminate ND leaders.  He joined hands with Dasari Veeraiah (Shankar) gang, infamous as merciless killers. Taking the side of the people, ND opposed his atrocities. It was 1500 tribal people under the leadership of village panchayat who opposed his exploitation of village tank for fishing for his self-interest. He falsely propagated that one youth, Borrayya, was killed by ND (Praja Pratighatna owned up this killing) and conducted condolence meetings under the banner of TRS. It is interesting that Chepuri Ravi operates openly as TRS leader. His wife contested as ZP candidate on behalf of TRS-Congress-CPI combine. And CPI (Maoist) attacked ND squad on behalf of this Mafia leader linked to ruling class parties!

'Create more Beeroni Madavas'

As soon as this news came on TV channels, state committee leaders of CPI(ML)-New Democracy immediately wrote to CPI (Maoist) PC on the issue and demanded return of seized weapons. We also approached the well wishers of revolutionary movement. State Committee issued an appeal to the progressive intellectuals to intervene and pressurise the CPI (Maoist) to return our weapons and prevent the atmosphere of tension and armed clashes between the two organizations. No reply came from CPI (Maoist). On the other hand CPI (Maoist), instead of taking steps to normalise the situation, issued inimical statements threatening that more and more Beeroni Madavas would be created. CPI (Maoist) did not respond to the offer of CPI(ML)-ND state committee to discuss all issues between the two organizations, including this incident, on the basis of facts.

CPI (Maoist) stated that Ashok dalam was assaulting the people and in reaction to this the people revolted. If it were true, what was the obstacle in giving details of these attacks and injuries suffered by the people. But the letter written by their Narasampet squad commander Ramesh, in which he invited our squad for discussions, punctures their story. “Create more Beeroni Madavas” Prakash told the press. It is obviously a provocative statement.

CPI (Maoist) leaders and cadres are often declaring openly that comrades belonging to CPI(ML)-ND are police informers. It has been refuted on many occcasions and ND has asked for evidence to substantiate such frivolous charges. Till date not a single evidence has been produced. Whatever may be our political differences, passing on information to the police cannot be the policy of any revolutionary organization. CPI(ML)-New Democracy is totally opposed to it and does not condone it. Similarly with regard to their oft-repeated charge that CPI(ML)-New Democracy leaders are landlords and vested interests, no evidence was ever produced despite CPI (Maoist) being asked to do so. They probably consider that labelling a charge itself is enough and there is no need to have or give any evidence.

These kind of statements coming from their squads and the silence of their AP and CC leaders has obviously worsened the relations between the two organizations. Their attitude is damaging the revolutonary movement, democratic movement and relations between communist revolutionary organziations.

CPI (Maoist) relying on anti-people elements in these areas

In Godavari Valley a number of communist revolutionary organizations inclduing CPI(ML)-New Democracy and CPI (Maoist) are working and maintaining armed squads. In several areas of Godavari Valley, CPI(ML)-New Democracy has been waging mass movements and conducting resistance struggle since a long time. During the last 20 years, CPI (Maoist) squads came to these areas where the self-defence squads of CPI(ML)-New Democracy have been working from many years earlier. To get their foothold in these areas, they have been making friendship with these enemies of the people who are against CPI(ML) ND. They have in particular resorted to make friendship with anarchist elements of various hues for ‘organizing their revolutionary movement in Godavari Valley’. Recruiting anarchist and anti-social elements into their squads to enhance their strength, making friendship with the enemies of the people and Mafia gangs and accusing CPI(ML) ND as informants and police agents has been part  of their modus operandi in these areas.

Because of this attitude adopted by CPI (Maoist), however seriously CPI(ML) ND tried to have friendly relations with them and solve the differences with their organization through discussions and consultations, the differences between the Maoists and the New Democracy could not be sorted out. They talk of these methods for resolving the differences and disputes between communist revolutionary organizations but practise an altogether different approach in Andhra Pradesh. It is the wrong approach of CPI (Maoist) which is responsible for the disputes, quarrels and clashes between the two organisations in AP. Conspiring with Cepuri Ravi Mafia group to snatch the weapons from self-defence squad of CPI(ML)-New Democracy is an expression of their wrong attitude.

AP State Committee of CPI(ML)-New Democracy has consistently offered and even now offers that the disputes between the two organizations should be sorted out through mutual discussions. In case it is not possible to do so, intervention of democratic intellectuals should be sought to help this. State Committee has also consistently approached CPI (Maoist) to wage joint struggle on people's issues and against the attacks of ruling class parties. This approach alone is in the interests of people's struggle and revolutionary movement. Mutual clashes demoralize the revolutionary people and sympathizers and only gladden the reactionaries.

CPI(ML)-New Democracy has expressed serious hope that CPI (Maoist) leadership will consider the issue in the interest of revolutionary movement, correct the wrong approach and adopt the method of mutual discussion to sort out differences and build joint struggles to advance people's struggles.